Iron Man 3 Will Be Completely Different In China

There’s no denying that Shane Black’s upcoming Iron Man 3 is one of the most anticipated films of the year – the last few years even – giving theaters an explosive summer boost right in the middle of the spring season. So is it exciting, disappointing or non-essential that China is getting its own version?

Deadline reports Marvel and China’s DMG Entertainment announced Iron Man 3 will get an exclusive Chinese edit to be released at an undetermined future date. DMG worked with Marvel for the Beijing-filmed scenes, which the legendary Chinese actor Wang Xueqi took part in, and both companies say Xueqi will appear in both versions. However, the overseas version will feature an exclusive appearance from Fan Bingbing, China’s top actress, and a package of bonus footage was prepared specifically for Chinese audiences. Presumably it isn’t just ninety minutes of Tony Stark reading a list of all the different ways that China is surpassing the United States on a global scale.

The press release states that both companies shared a positive experience in basing part of the film’s production there, and that future collaborations are to be expected. It’s a far cry from the editing hassle that befell the Wachowski’s Cloud Atlas, which left a good chunk of the film on the cutting-room floor. Similarly, the film 21 and Over saw a completely different release when it shown in Chinese theaters, trading in dick jokes for something approaching a storyline.

The release ends with the ominous statement, “The Iron Man cast and filmmakers look forward to bringing Iron Man back to China.” Are they just talking about showing up for the film’s premiere? Or is this the first whisper of a rumor that Avengers 2 will partly take place in China as well? I guess we’ll have to wait and see where Iron Man and Mandarin’s battles take them when Iron Man 3 gets its American release on May 3, 2013.